Cider press and mill



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Patented Mar. 3, 1891.

amoenhoz v (No Model.)

J. F. GEARHART.

CIDER PRESS AND MILL. No. 447,677.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

J. F. GEARHART. GIDER PRESS AND MILL.

Patented Mar. 3

F -"HI I I-IIIII- U571: esz'geariz a/rt @qu flltozwago Tn: NORRLS PETERS co, mow-urns, WA5MING1'UN, :a. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT Trice.

JAMES F. GEARHART, OFIDEVON, KANSAS.

CIDER PRESS AND MILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 447,677, dated March 3, 1891.

Application filed March 21,1890. Serial No, 344,776. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, JAMES F. GEARHART, a citizen of the United States, residing at De- Von, in thecounty of Bourbon and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful Cider-Press and Apple Grater or Mill, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in combined cider-presses and apple graters or mills.

The object of the present invention is to produce a combined cider-press and applegrater which shall be simple and inexpensive in construction, exceedingly light and possessing great strength and durability, and capable of ready and positive. operation at the expense of but a small'amount of force.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combined cider-press and apple-grater which will automatically feed and macerate the apples and quickly convert them into nomace without liability of splashing and which will be capable of automatically measuring the quantity of pomace for each cloth.

Furthermore, the object of the invention is to provide a combined cider-press and grater in which the compressing force will be exerted directly upon the pomace, by pulling the plunger of the press thereon and which will give the pomace a slight but constant movement from side to side during the downward action of the plunger, and thereby more completely and successfully expel the juice from the pomace.

Furthermore, the object of the invention is to provide a cider-press in which the plunger can be readily raised from the pomace to en able the latter to be removed from the press without returning the plunger upward by the slow process necessary to carry it with the requisite force downward, and thereby do away with the usual lost motion, and, furthermore, to enable the operating mechanism to be instantly returned to its initial position as the plunger is raised without the exertion of any great amount of force.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the combined cider press and mill constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation. Fig. 3 is a front elevation. Fig. at is a central vertical longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view on the line :0 cc of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a detail sectional view of the mill. Fig. 7 is a detail perspective View. Fig. 8 is a detail view.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 1 designate parallel beams of the frame, which beams are horizontal and extend transversely across the front of the frame and have rising centrally from them vertical standards 2 and 3, which are four. in number and are arranged in pairs and have their lower ends secured to the inner faces of the horizontal beams and have their upper ends connected by a top cross-piece 4:, upon which are secured transverse bars 5, that are provided with I bearings 6 and have journaled therein a rollerbar7,'overwhich passes acord or rope S. The ends of the cord 8 are secured to a plunger 9, and the cord is adapted to quickly elevate the same after compressing and extracting the juice from the pomace, and the plunger 9 is held in its elevated position ready to operate upon a new charge of pomace by gaging the rope 8 with a projection or pin 10, extending outward from the face of the plunger. The plunger 9 consists of the head 11 and parallel beams 12, which are secured transversely across the plunger-head and are arranged between and guided by the vertical standards2 and 3 of the frame, and they have secured to them guide-bars 13, that are arranged between the beams and project above and below the same and fit snugly in the space between the vertical pairs of standards 2 and 3 and are adapted to prevent the plunger twisting under theheaviest pressure. lheverticalguide-bars 13 have their upper ends let extending a short distance above the beams and provided with openings 15, through which passes the cable or rope 16, that is secured to and operated by the windlasses, and the said beams have journaled upon their upper edges rollers or pulleys '17, that are arranged at-the ends of the beams and are provided at their ends with disks or flanges 18, that engage the sides of the beam and prevent the rollers becoming displaced from their bearings. The ends of the windlass cable or rope are attached to transverse rods 19, which are secured to the plungerbeams 12 at points intermediate to the ends of the latter. The Windlass cable or rope 16 is doubled upon itself at each side of the press and passes downward around rollers or pulleys 20, which are journaled in suitable bearings and arranged upon the lower edges of the parallel frame-beams 1 l at each side of the vertical standards 2 and 3, and the rope or cable is then passed upward over the rollers or pulleys 17 and again downward and secured in perforations 21 in ratchet-wheels 22, that are rigidly mounted upon Windlass-shafts 23. The rollers or pulleys 20 have disks 24 at their ends similar in construction to the disks 1S, and they are provided intermediate of their ends with flanges 25, that separate the rope or cable 16. The teeth of the ratchet-wheel 22 are shouldered in one direction and are arranged to be engaged by a link-plate 26, that is provided with a longitudinal slot 27 and is pivoted in the bifurcated end 28 of a lever 29, that is fulcrumed in a Windlass-frame 30, which consists of sides 31 and 32, the outer one 32 being extended below the beams 1 and supportingtheirontoftheframe. Awindlass frame is arranged at each side of the press frame, and the link-plates 26 are connectedand held into-engagement and in position to rotate the Windlass when the levers 29 are operated by cords or ropes 33, that have their inner adjacent ends secured to a spiral spring 34, and the ratchet wheels are held against retrograde movement by U-shaped pawls 35, which are pivoted in slots 36 of the side 32 of the wind lass-frame, and they have their ends 37 perforated and engaged by ends 38 of springs 39, that are secured to the sides 32 of the Windlass-frame and are adapted to hold the perforated ends elevated, and thereby maintain the pawls in engagement with the ratchet-wheels. The pawls and link-plates are out of engagement with the ratchet-wheel to permit the plunger and operative mechanism to be rapidly returned to its normal or initial position ready to operate upon a new charge of pomace by curved levers 40, that have their ends 41 pivoted or fulcrumed at one side to the ends of a transverse shaft 42, mounted in suitable bearings 43, and the said ends 41 are provided at the other side with a transverse rod 44, having its ends connected, respectively, with the adjacent pawl and linkplate, and when the curved lever is drawn frontward over its pivotal point the transverse rod 44 is elevated and the pawl and linkplate are withdrawn from the ratchet-wheel and free retrograde movement of the ratchetwheel permitted, thereby permitting the windlass, cable, or rope to be readily unwound for the elevation of the plunger. The outer end of the transverse rod 44 is connected with the link-plate 26 by a cord or rope 48, and the opposite orinncr end of said rod 44 is connected with the pawl by a hook-rod 46, that is U- shaped and has its ends bent into hooks, in

ples to the disk and facilitate feed. hopper or grater is provided with a sheetthe openings of which is arranged the pawl. The curved lever, which consists, preferably, of the metal plate, is provided at its top with a perforation 47, in which is secured the end of a rope 45, whose other end is provided with a ring 49 and is secured loosely upon the top face of the lever 29 by an eye or keeper 50. It will readily be seen that a tremendous amount of force is directly exerted upon the plunger by passing the Windlass cable or rope around the pulleys in the manner described, and that the plunger in its downward course is drawn slightly one side at a time by the separate operation of the levers, and the pomace is forced slightly from side to side, which motion thoroughly and completely extracts the juice.

The upper cross-bar 4, which is secured be tween the upper ends of the vertical standards 2 and 3, has extending rearward from it a pair of side bars 5, the rear ends of which are connected by a cross-bar 52, that is secured to the upper end of a standard 53, that is arranged at the rear of the press and is connected by a brace 54 with the rear beam 1. Mounted upon the side bars 5 is a box or hopper 55, that is composed of inclined sides 56 and 57', whose upper edges are curved and provide a flaring mouth. The hopper or box has extending transversely across it a shaft 57, that is mounted in suitable bearings and has splined to it at a point centrally within the hopper or box a grater-disk 58, the sides of which are slightly concaved and provided with a series of knives 59 andseries of projections or points 60, adapted to engage the apples and quickly convert them into pomace. By constructing the sides of the disk concaved feed of the machine is facilitated. The sides 56 of the grater-box or hopper are provided with oppositely-disposed side plates 61, the upper edges of which are beveled, and guide-boards'62 direct the ap- The metal casing 63, that partially covers the top of the grater-box or hopper and prevents the particles being thrown therefrom, and the said casing consists of the top plate 64, that has a wide flaring end and sides 66, depending from the narrow neck portion of the top and partially inclosing the sides of the disk at the point where the apples are dumped into the hopper, and thereby prevent splashing. The sides 66 have their upper edges curved and are secured to boards 67, that are arranged upon each side of the top or casing, and are connected by a bar 68 and receive the apples and direct them between the boards 62 and the sides of the disk. The sides or plates 61 depend from the grater-box or hopper and have pivotally mounted between them hinged doors 69, that form continuations of the sides 56 and 57', and are connected to an operatinglever 74, which is fulcrumed in an opening 70 in the side of the grater-box by a bar 71 and link-rod 72, that are pivoted to the hinged doors 69 and to the lower end of the bar 71, whereby when the lever is raised the hinged doors are brought to a horizontal position to close the hopper and permit the dumps 71* to open and allow the pomace to fall upon the cloth placed to receive it. The dumps 71* are pivoted at 71 and consist ofplates 7 and 7 23, secured perpendicularly to each other and pivoted between'the depending sides 61. \Vhen the dumps 71 have been operated, the lever 7 4 is lowered, which causes the hinged doors 69 to engage the sides "2* of the dump, and the latter are brought to a perpendicular position, which brings the bottom or plates 73 to a horizontal position to close the bottom of the depending sides 61.

It will readily be seen that either the door 69 or the bottoms '73 of the dumps are closed and prevent any accidental escape of the pomace, and by this construction the amount of pomace for each cloth can be readily regulated, and as soon as the desired amount has fallen upon the bottoms 73 of the dumps the doors 69 are raised by the operatinglever and the dumps are allowed to deposit the pomace.

The apple grater or mill is designed to be operated by any desirable power, and the shaft 57 has splined or feathered to it a band-put ley '7 5, which receives motion by a belt 76, that passes around a pulley or wheel '77, to which a suitable power is connected. The pulley 7 7 is mounted upon a shaft 78, that is journaled in bearings secured beneath a platform 79, the rear end of which is attached to the vertical standard 53 and the front portion rests upon the beams 1. The platform 7 9 is provided around its edges with strips 80, that project above the platform and form a flange 4 around the same to prevent the escape of the juice, and the flange 80 at the front of the frame is provided with an opening 81 to permit the escape of the juice to a convenient receptacle, and the said platform is provided on its face with plates or metal strips 82 to enable the cloths holding the pomace to be readily moved from the mill to the press.

From the foregoing it will readily be seen that the combined cider press and mill is simple and inexpensive in construction and is exceedingly light and possesses great strength and durability, that it is capable of ready and positive operation at the expense of but a small amount of force, that the mill will feed itself and quickly convert the apples into pomace without liability of splashing and will automatically measure the quantity of pomace for each cloth, and that the operating mechanism of the press can be quickly returned to its initial position without lost motion.

From the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings the construction, operation, and advantages of theinvention will be readily understood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. The combination of the main frame, the Windlass-frames 30, arranged at the ends thereof, the plunger, the rope or cable 16, connected to the plunger, the Windlass-shaft provided with ratchet-wheels having the cable or rope16 secured thereto, the operating-levers fulcru med in the Windlass-frame and provided with link-plates arranged to engage and rotate the ratchet-wheels, the pawl pivoted in the frame, the springs arranged to engage the pawls and hold them in engagement with the ratchet-wheels, and means, substantially as described, for withdrawing the pawls and link-plates from engagement with the ratchet-wheels, substantially as described.

2. The combination of the main frame, the plunger, the rope or cable 16, connected to the plunger, the Windlass-frames arranged at the ends of the main frame, the Windlass-shafts provided with ratchet-wheels and having the cable or rope 16 secured thereto, the operating-levers fulcrumed in the Windlass-frames and provided with link-plates arranged to engage and rotate the ratchet-wheels, the springactuated pawls pivoted in the Windlassframes, the curved levers 40, fulcru med to the Windlass-frame, the ropes 48, connected to the link-plates and to the curved lever, and the U-shaped rods secured to the curved levers and provided at their lower ends with hooks engaging the pawls, substantially as described.

The combination of the main frame, the plunger, the rope or cable 16, connected to the plunger, the Windlass-frames arranged at the ends of the main frame, the Windlass-shafts provided with ratchet-wheels having the cable or rope 16 secured to them, the operating-levers fulcrumed in the Windlass-frame and provided with link-plates, the ropes 33, having their farther ends secured to the linkplates and their adjacent ends connected by the spring 3% and adapted to hold the plates in engagement with the ratchet-wheels, the spring-actuated pawl, the U-shaped rods having their lower ends engaging the pawls, the ropes 48, soon red to the link-plates, the rope 45, and the curved levers fulcrumed on the wind lass-frames and connected to the U-shaped rods and having the said ropes 48 secured to them and the rope 4:5 and adapted to be swung back beyond their pivotal point to hold the pawl and links out of engagement with the ratchet-wheels, substantially as described.

at. The combination of the frame, the graterbox mounted thereon, the grater-disk arranged in the box, the inclined sides 62, and the cap consisting of the top plate curved around the disk and provided with segmental side plates 66 and having the boards 67 secured to the side plates, substantially as described.

5. The combination of the grater-box, the disk mounted therein, the depending sides 61, secured to the box, the hinged doors 09,

:0 shaped dumps pivoted at the bottom of the depending sides and arranged to be engaged and operated by the hinged doors, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in r 5 presence of two witnesses.

JAMES F. GEARHART.

Witnesses: Jmvrns WILKIsoN, A. B. STONER. 

